Jason Day won the PGA Championship yesterday with a record score of -20, and he, Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy are "but the tip of an iceberg of a globe-spanning generation ... that could end up being golf's greatest," according to Karen Crouse of the N.Y. TIMES. Spieth, McIlroy and Day, who now occupy the top three spots in the world ranking, "have an average age of 25." The group of young stars also includes The Players Championship winner Rickie Fowler (26); six-time European Tour winner Branden Grace (27); Hideki Matsuyama (23), whose "six top-five showings this season included fifth place at the Masters;" and Brooks Koepka (25), who yesterday "posted his second consecutive top-10 finish in a major" (N.Y. TIMES, 8/17). CBS' David Feherty said Spieth, McIlroy and Day "are the Big Three at the moment, there’s no question about that." Feherty: "But when you look at the other kids that are behind them, I mean there are so many of them that are capable of winning at any tournament” ("Morning Drive," Golf Channel, 8/17). Golf Channel’s Steve Sands said, “It’s amazing how quickly golf has turned over, (with) Day, Spieth, (Dustin) Johnson, (Justin) Rose, Rory. … They’re on leaderboards at every major now. It’s not like they’re just popping up perhaps winning, picking one off. They’re at majors and they are on leaderboards every single time. Golf has made a very quick transition to a young man’s sport out here at the highest level." He added, "These guys are now the faces of the game, and I think they’re going to be there for a long time” (“Morning Drive,” Golf Channel, 8/16). In S.F., Al Saracevic wrote it is "great to see the same core group of players contend, week in, week out. ... It's fun to watch golf because we're getting to know these players over a longer stretch of time" (S.F. CHRONICLE, 8/16).
MAKE ROOM FOR JASON: GOLF.com's Gary Van Sickle wrote golf "already looked as if it was in a great place with the wish-upon-a-star rivalry between Spieth and McIlroy." It is something that "invigorates the game on both sides of the Atlantic" -- Europe "roots for young Rory (who is popular in America) and the United States roots for young Jordan (who is well-liked overseas)." Van Sickle: "Let's add young Jason to the equation. Now we’ve got another continent -- Australia -- involved with a rooting interest. Are Day, Spieth and McIlroy going to start fighting for majors between them for the next decade? Could we be that lucky? ... Maybe instead of a new-age rivalry we’ve got a new-age Big Three of Golf." They could be "very big for generating greater global interest in the game" (GOLF.com, 8/16). In Sydney, Matt Murnane writes Day provides Spieth and McIlroy a "new force to contend with in world golf's 'post-Tiger' generation." CBS' Nick Faldo during the broadcast said, "We had the big three moons ago. ... Now I think we are approaching on having another big three in the game of golf." Murnane writes that is a "significant statement when you consider the place those three greats have in the game." Murnane: "To think Day could hold something similar, along with Spieth and McIlroy, is exciting" (SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, 8/18). YAHOO SPORTS' Eric Adelson asked, "Is this the beginning of a sustained major rivalry between Day and new No. 1 Spieth? Are we in for a triumvirate of talent, with Rory McIlroy in his prime and the three of them having won five of the last six majors? (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 8/16).
A THREESOME FOR THE NEXT DECADE: Australian golf writer Ben Everill said of Day, "People are now excited that he will go on some sort of roll and create the sort of career that Rory McIlroy is on the path to, Jordan Spieth’s on the path to. With those two and Jason, it could be a really good 10 years if they’re all on their game” ("Morning Drive," Golf Channel, 8/17). SPORTS ON EARTH's Cy Brown writes after Spieth won the Masters and U.S. Open, many people thought there would be "duels between him and Rory McIlroy in majors for years to come." Brown: "We may see plenty of those, but it also seems pretty obvious to say that the Aussie will be right there in the mix" (SPORTSONEARTH.com, 8/17). In N.Y., Hank Gola writes there is a "triumvirate at the top of the golf world, three young guns who figure to be shooting it out for years to come" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 8/17). In Milwaukee, Gary D'Amato notes Day, Spieth and McIlroy have won five of the last six majors, and there is the "feeling that this is just the beginning" (MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL, 8/17).
MOVING THE NEEDLE: The WALL STREET JOURNAL's Brian Costa noted the PGA Tour has "seemed eternally in search of the next Tiger," but in Spieth and McIlroy it has found the "next best thing: two players in their 20s who could legitimately claim to be the world's best." The attention they draw is the "surest sign of a sport that is finally moving on." Spieth and McIlroy played together during the first two rounds of the PGA Championship, and Packers QB Aaron Rodgers was "among the fans walking with their group." That is the latest sign that "no one else has become an attraction" the way they have over the last two years (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 8/15). FORBES.com's Patrick Rishe noted with both Spieth and McIlroy being "charismatic and likable young men with clean images away from the golf course, ... this has the makings of a beautiful relationship for the PGA Tour" (FORBES.com, 8/14).
